Equellum !!hot!! 〈TRENDING | 2024〉

When you picture an ancient laboratory, you likely imagine glass beakers, copper stills, and bubbling flasks. But for centuries, one of the most critical tools on the workbench was a small, unassuming device called an (plural: Equella ).

Next time you set up a reflux reaction in your lab or kitchen, spare a thought for the equellum: the original recirculating reactor.

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Though largely forgotten today, the equellum played a vital role in the transition from medieval alchemy to modern chemistry. An equellum is a small, often crucible-like vessel with a distinctive feature: a built-in, inverted funnel or a porous septum inside its neck. Its name derives from the Latin equus (horse), possibly alluding to the “bridle” or restraint the device placed on escaping vapors.